Sunday September 7, 2025 Chandi Deitmer

Theme: "SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES" - A chemical element is added to each common phrase. This element pairs nicely with the following word to form a valid phrase also. 

22. *Cowardly Lion or Scarecrow, probably?: TIN MAN'S BEST FRIEND. Tin Man. Man's best friend. 

33. *Question on a history test about westward migration in the 1840s?: WHY THE BIG GOLD RUSH. Why the big rush. Gold rush. 

49. *Surviving Victorian society, for a Dickens character?: COPPERFIELD GOAL. Copperfield. Field goal. 

65. *Useful download for archaeologists?: CARBON DATING APP.  Carbon dating. Dating app. 

87. *Plea for a way to advertise a business that is open all night?: GIVE ME A NEON SIGN. Give me a sign. Neon sign. 

100. *Primate habitat banner when the zoo acquires a new gorilla?: WELCOME SILVERBACK. Welcome back. Silverback. 

Reveal:

112. Unexpected twist, or what's found in the answers to the starred clues: ELEMENT OF SURPRISE.

Husker Gary mentioned a while ago that Chandi is a full-time puzzler out of Cambridge, MA. Her puzzles are always fun and witty. 

Have any of you solved the Slate crosswords? Chandi is one of the regular constructors there. 

Across:

1. Climb: ASCENT.

7. Fancy car upgrades: RIMS.

11. One who's crossed a line?: SCAB. Picket line.

15. Old AOL missives: IMS.

18. How crêpe suzette is served: FLAMBE.

19. Stew-thickening pod: OKRA.

20. __ platter: PU PU. Never heard of this until I started solving crosswords.

21. Wray of "King Kong": FAY.

26. Feminine concept in Taoism: YIN. I eat a ton of Yin food in the summer: cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. Time for Yang food now: sweet potatoes, kabocha squash, etc.  

27. Whirling water: EDDY.

28. MMA decision: TKO.

29. Hit the jackpot: WIN.

30. Kevlar creator: DUPONT.

32. Marina del __, California: REY.

38. Surface: ARISE.

40. Solemnly swear: AVOW.

41. Cease and __: DESIST.

42. Used a "Safe!" word?: UMPED. Also loved this clue: 59. Square figure?: AREA. 

44. Kapoor of Hindi cinema: ANIL. Wikipedia says he has appeared in more than 100 films. 

45. Membership fees: DUES.

47. Actress Kate or Rooney: MARA.

53. Tinkered (with): TOYED.

54. Laze about: LOLL.

55. Stately 110-Downs: ELMS. 110. Shade provider: TREE.

56. Words of warning: OR ELSE.

58. __ trombone: SAD.

60. __ check: GUT.

61. Some critical care pros: EMTS.

63. Witch costume props: BROOMS. I saw a few guys digging stuff near our post office. The company is called "Ditch Witch".

70. Eager student's cry: ME ME ME.

73. Preternatural glow: AURA.

74. Poetic preposition: O'ER. This is the only word where V's is contracted, right?

75. Parliament members?: OWLS.

79. Language suffix: ESE.

80. Font option: ITALIC.

83. Cat's "Thanks for petting me": PURR.

84. Mule, e.g.: SHOE.

85. Group of eight: OCTAD.

91. "Storage __": reality TV show: WARS.

92. Document option: SAVE.

93. Omar of "House": EPPS.

94. Exposed: OUTED.

95. Many a soda can: POP TOP.

97. Without charge: FREE.

98. Tundra or taiga: BIOME.

104. Scot's denial: NAE.

107. Glinda portrayer: ARIANA. Ariana Grande. Ethereal. 

108. Savings option, for short: IRA.

109. Computing pioneer Lovelace: ADA.

110. Word in sloth names: TOED. Three-toed sloth. 

111. Peyton or Eli, to Archie: SON. Time for Arch to shine.

118. "Lenore" poet: POE.

119. Shortcut image: ICON.

120. One who's really trying?: BRAT. Stressful "trying".

121. Applies to: USES ON.

122. Texting tech: SMS.

123. High-grade: A ONE.

124. Organization that chases Carmen Sandiego: ACME.

125. Makes tea: STEEPS.

Down:

1. Renovation photo caption: AFTER.

2. Waterpark feature: SLIDE.

3. Sticky carnival treat: CANDY APPLE. We eat candied hawthorns during Chinese New Year. 

4. Primetime award: EMMY.

5. Org. for James and Durant: NBA.

6. Dimes, to dollars: TENTHS.

7. Alicia Vikander's "Ex Machina" role: ROBOT. Learning moment for me. 

8. 1950s prez: IKE.

9. "And here's to you, __ Robinson": MRS.

10. Parked it: SAT.

11. Bit of thyme: SPRIG.

12. Prompting an actor: CUING.

13. Chimp, e.g.: APE.

14. Heaps: BUNDLES.

15. "Suuuuure": IF YOU SAY SO. And 16. Opposite of indie: MAINSTREAM.  71. Activity where people are really locked in?: ESCAPE ROOM. 72. Subway network: METRO LINES. Two pairs of paralleled 10's. Amazing grid work. 

17. EDM instrument: SYNTH.

23. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE.

24. Texter's "This might be useful": FWIW. For What It's Worth. 

25. Getup: DUDS.

31. Top-ranked: PRIMO.

33. Like a panoramic view: WIDE.

34. Fruit of the Loom rival: HANES.

35. Very bad: EVIL.

36. Font option: BOLD.

37. NFL star __ Beckham Jr.: ODELL.

39. Swap out: REPLACE.

42. Jackie Robinson Stadium sch.: UCLA.

43. Tie up, as a boat: MOOR.

44. Have the objective of: AIM TO.

45. Latissimus __: back muscle: DORSI.

46. Fed. with artificial archipelagos known as the Palm Islands: UAE. This looks surreal.

48. Contributes: ADDS.

50. Feel sorry for: REGRET.

51. Drop the ball: FLUB.

52. "You __ try this!": GOTTA.

53. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.

57. Food court pizza chain: SBARRO.

61. Evoke: EDUCE.

62. Make a dent in: MAR.

64. American marsupial: OPOSSUM.

66. Among: AMID.

67. Not world-weary: NAIVE.

68. People, places, things, etc.: NOUNS.

69. "Sommersby" star: GERE. Not familiar with the movie.

70. Cat's "Please pet me": MEOW.

76. Neutral sound that may be a sleep aid: WHITE NOISE. Been a blissful few months. No weed. No noise. The company that owns 5501 decided to sell the house. Pending right now.

77. Theater section: LOGE.

78. Chat box button: SEND.

81. Visibly shocked: AGAPE.

82. Actress Tyler: LIV.

83. Rock, __, Scissors: PAPER.

86. Rescue rehoming org.: ASPCA.

88. Game show creator Griffin: MERV.

89. Fencing option: EPEE. The pride of Hong Kong: Vivian Kong. She won gold in women's epee in Paris.

90. Cozy reading spot: NOOK.

92. Kenya neighbor: SOMALIA.

96. "Don't you take that __ with me!": TONE.

97. Custard dessert: FLAN.

98. Singer Erykah: BADU.

99. High-flying guy of myth: ICARUS. His wings melted. 

100. Winged stingers: WASPS.

101. Pegg of "The Boys": SIMON.

102. Sherlock adversary Adler: IRENE.

103. Roast turkey instruction: BASTE.

105. Greek fabulist: AESOP.

106. Unblemished spots: EDENS.

113. Green prefix: ECO.

114. Abbr. on an unfinished schedule: TBA.

115. Hobbit enemy: ORC.

116. Nearest and dearest, colloquially: FAM.

117. Oregon hrs.: PST.

C.C.

Saturday, July 19, 2025, Chandi Deitmer and Erik Agard

  Saturday Themeless by Chandi Deitmer and Erik Agard

           

Chandi wrote, I am a full-time puzzler out of Cambridge, MA with a love of nice people, spicy food, and (whatever entry POWER CLASHING is!). Hmmm...I wonder who came up with that clue/fill? 😀

Erik Agard (born 1993) is a crossword solver, constructor, and editor. He is the winner of the 2016 LollapuzzoolaExpress Division, the 2018 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT), a frequent contributor to the New York Times crossword puzzle, a crossword constructor for The New Yorker, the former USA Today crossword editor, and a former Jeopardy! contestant. He is currently a crossword editor at Apple News+.

I had a lovely trip through this collaboration but POWER CLASHING, BURBLE and MOCHI DONUT were speed bumps. Also, 46, 47 and 53 Down were just devious. I got the fill and then wracked what little brain power I had to make sense of them. 

Across:

1. Take off: STRIP.

6. Book jacket blurbs: BIOS.

10. Cover one's tracks?: DUB 😀 - Did you enjoy the "singing" of Deborah Kerr in The King and I, Natalie Wood in West Side Story and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Marni Nixon was the actual performer who glorious singing voice was DUBBED over for these famous roles.

 

13. African capital with a City of the Dead: CAIRO - More info

14. Step in some Sun Salutations: COBRA POSE - Number 5 below

16. Attorney-__: AT LAW.

17. Boxing titles?: RING NAMES - Take a guess at the RING NAME of this boxing great Walker Smith Jr.. Answer at bottom of write-up *.

18. Greta of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse": LEE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ She voiced a character named Layla

19. GPS figs.: ETAS - My GPS does not consider detours and construction zones or my tendency to drive 4mph over the speed limit so my Estimated Time of Arrival is not always so accurate. 

21. Echelons: TIERS.

22. Magnetic presence in a classroom?: DRY-ERASE BOARD - My classroom board was home to many NASA and Disney magnetic "stickers"

26. Retired players?: VCRS - Failure to expand the idea of "players" made this take more time than necessary. At first I thought of baseball and OUTS.

27. Screenwriter's creations: ARCS - Those of us with a few miles on our tires will remember the name of the show whose story ARC was the search for the one-armed-man killer. Show is named below**

28. Halyard attachments: SAILS - This land lubber confused halyard with lanyard  which is where we coaches carry our whistle and convention goers wear their ID'S. 😀

30. Dose holder: VIAL.

31. Pewter element: TIN.

34. Setting for some of "Pachinko": KOREA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

35. Participate in story time: TELL A TALE.

37. GPS fig.: LAT - This screen shot shows you the LAT and LONG of the White House.

38. Catch: SNAG.

40. Stream-ing music?: BURBLE - Not a common word to me but exchanging it for BUBBLE gave me TRANCHE

41. Increases: UPS.

42. Some social circles?: HORAS. 😀

44. Standard intro course: SALAD 😀 the course was "intro" not "first". I wonder if this was a product of Chandi or Erik.

45. Rice flour pastry: MOCHI DONUT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

48. Team whose logo is a basketball with a B: NETS.

49. In some cases, it won't break: PHONE 😀 My iPhone is in an Otter Box case and has been saved several times

50. Surprisingly good event?: MIRACLE - The 1980 Lake Placid Olympics is truly one

52. Conductor Solti who held the record for most Grammys before Beyoncé: GEORG.

53. Slayer player: METAL HEAD.

55. Classic Monopoly token: IRON.

56. Ticket line?: ONE PLEASE.

57. Misses: GALS - Noun not verb

58. Worked into a lather: SUDSY 

59. Word with chosen or precious: FEW.

Down:

1. Prep, as milk for custard: SCALD.

2. Spud: TATER.

3. B.B. King's given name: RILEY.

4. SIMPLE __: IRA.

5. Looks in two different directions at once?: POWER CLASHING ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  It's a fashion "thing". Chandi's note to me said she did not enter this. 😀

6. City that can be seen from Table Rock: BOISE.

7. Male equivalent of "bint," in Arabic: IBN.

8. Edu alternative: ORG.

9. Man known for his many gifts: SANTA CLAUS.

10. Like many mosques: DOMED.

11. App opener: USER.

12. Téa's "Madam Secretary" role: BESS.

14. Uncouth: CRASS.

15. Skating event: PAIRS.

20. Paves the way?: TARS.

23. Irish novelist Woods: EVIE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

24. Leave folks hanging: BAIL.

25. Big name in brushes: ORAL-B.

28. Genre originally sponsored by Procter & Gamble: SOAP OPERA.

29. Media training?: ART SCHOOL 😀

30. Honey-don't list?: VEGAN MENU - I'm a "meat and taters" kind of guy!

31. Dining room section: TABLE LEAF 😀 Ours are stored in the dining table.

32. Unsettled: ILL AT EASE.

33. Maslovian considerations: NEEDS - I studied (read memorized) these for my Master's Degree and then forgot them.

34. Kloss's "Project Runway" predecessor: KLUM.

Heidi Klum   Karlie Kloss

35. Tropical staple: TARO.

36. Financial term from the French for "slice": TRANCHE - This compelling scene from Margin Call uses the word TRANCHE and gives insight into a big cause of the 2008 financial crisis. It's worth 9:48 of your time.

39. Place to make a connection: NODE - Part of a Local Area Network

43. Apt: SUITED.

46. Lockers in a row?: HORNS  - Wow, variations on locker, row and horns! Here we see two kudu locking HORNS during a row (rhymes with cow). People can do the same thing metaphorically. 

47. Quarry containers: TRAPS - Continuing with animal references, some people use TRAPS to catch whatever quarry they are after. 

51. Person to fight with: ALLY - Two ways to go: The person who is with you and fighting on your side is an ally. The person who is not with you is someone you are fighting with/against.

52. Piece of work?: GIG.

53. JASON's five, e.g.: MOS - I got this eventually. JASON stands for the first letters in the MO.'S July through November. All capital letters in the clue put me off the name and MOS is most likely months. Aarrgghh! 

54. __ point: DEW - Recent numbers for Omaha.

*Walker Smith Jr. fought as Sugar Ray Robinson

**Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) sought the one-armed-man who killed his wife in The Fugitive

Sunday November 10, 2024 Chandi Deitmer

Theme:  "Things That Go Bump in the Night" - Four monsters are hidden under four beds.

24. Thought experiment illustrating special relativity: TWIN PARADOX.

27. Dish garnish: MICROGREEN. Ogre under Twin.

44. Ryan Gosling's role in "The Fall Guy": BODY DOUBLE.

52. Italian blue cheese: GORGONZOLA. Gorgon under Double.

86. Wonderland resident who starts out as a chess piece: WHITE QUEEN.

94. Arrived nonchalantly: STROLLED IN. Troll under Queen.

115. Big name in baking products: KING ARTHUR.

119. Conway Twitty ballad covered by Blake Shelton: GOODBYE TIME. Yeti under King.

Reveal:

66. Common childhood fear, examples of which may jump out at you four times in this puzzle?: THE MONSTER UNDER THE BED.

See the answer grid below.

Each monster has the same letter count as the bed it's hidden. This makes Chandi's theme entry choices super tight.

 

Across:

1. Dandy: FOP.

4. Taiwanese laptop brand: ACER. Their monitor is pretty good.

8. Repeats a mantra, perhaps: CHANTS.

14. Out of bed: ASTIR.

19. Big day for a startup, briefly: IPO.

20. "__ might say ... ": SOME.

21. Zimbabwe's capital: HARARE.

22. Maestro Zubin: MEHTA. Born in Bombay. We also have 50. Conductor's reference: SCORE.

23. Printer tray abbr.: LTR.

26. Opponent: ENEMY.

29. Plant also known as a strangler fig: BANYAN TREE.

31. Dijon darling: CHERI.

32. Crew team's workout machines: ERGS. Rowing ergometers.

34. Italian hard cheese, briefly: PARM.

35. Humble poker hand: PAIR.

36. Candy with unique dispensers: PEZ.

39. Caesar lettuce: ROMAINE.

42. Like the Vatican's Bramante Staircase: SPIRAL.

48. Add new audio: DUB.

49. Skin opening: PORE.

54. Gobs: LOADS.

56. Shape sometimes made by a comfy cat: LOAF.

57. Couture monogram: YSL.

58. Paris runway spot: ORLY.

59. Routine: ACT.

60. Like sesame seeds in furikake, typically: TOASTED. My favorite is the nori furikake.

63. Not-so-powerful chess piece: PAWN.

74. Floors: AWES.

75. "Well, isn't that fancy!": OOH LA LA.

76. Blonde, brown, or red drink: ALE.

77. Symbol on many a flag: STAR. Chinese flag has five stars.

80. Comic Margaret: CHO.

83. Penicillin origin: MOLD.

84. Singer Zayn: MALIK.

90. JV player's goal: A TEAM.

92. Gin flavorer: SLOE.

93. Buccaneer's cry: ARR.

96. Worth-y things: ASSETS. And 2. Vision-ary?: OPTIC. Nice clues.

98. Evidence board need: PUSHPIN.

100. "Case of the Ex" R&B singer: MYA.

101. Big name in brut: MOET.

102. Diamond overlay?: TARP. Another great clue. Baseball field.

103. Farm-centric org.: USDA.

107. Capital on the Svislach: MINSK.

109. Sound judgment: HORSE SENSE.

118. Newspaper sect.: OBITS.

121. Poem of tribute: ODE.

122. Runs like a gazelle: LOPES.

123. Dig into an issue: GO DEEP.

124. Songwriter Sands: EVIE.

125. Geologic span: EON.

126. Basic question type: YES-NO.

127. Kumquat color: ORANGE.

128. Neptune's domain: SEAS.

129. Retired jet: SST.

Down:

1. Polaroid need: FILM.

3. One looking for on-deck loot: PORCH PIRATE. Hope it's not a problem in your area.

4. Queens neighborhood on the East River: ASTORIA.

5. Women who "don't cry," per a Brooks & Dunn song: COWGIRLS.

6. Leader in Kuwait: EMIR. 10. Like a 6-Down: ARAB.

7. Rapp of "Mean Girls": RENEE.

8. Momofuku founder David: CHANG. Try his chili crunch.

9. Chuckle syllable: HAR.

11. __ colada: tropical mocktail: NADA.

12. Disney movie set inside a computer: TRON.

13. Hot: SEXY.

14. Fervent agreement: AMEN AMEN.

15. Nissan sedan: SENTRA.

16. Lobster __: THERMIDOR. A la Wikipedia, it's a "French dish of lobster meat cooked in a rich wine sauce, stuffed back into a lobster shell, and browned". Never had this.

17. [Puts finger to nose]: IT ME.

18. "My 21st Century Blues" singer: RAYE. British singer.

25. Word in a ratio: PER.

28. Raised: REARED.

30. Speed skater Ohno: APOLO.

33. Mole: SPY.

37. Daring, in a way: EDGY.

38. Hectic spots: ZOOS.

39. "On the Basis of Sex" monogram: RBG. Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
 
40. Invalid: NULL.

41. Online marketplace: EBAY.

42. Sound of slime hitting the ground: SPLAT. And 65. Collision sound: WHAM.

43. Pupper: POOCH.

44. Extra helping hand: BOOST.

45. Pontificate: ORATE.

46. Leave for later: DEFER.

47. Bus. card address: URL.

51. Refinement: CLASS.

53. Comfort __: ZONE.

55. Put away: STOW.

61. Protozoan cell count: ONE.

62. Spokesowl who celebrates app streaks: DUO. Duolingo's owl mascot Duo.

63. Red carpet designer: PRADA.

64. Trap music city, briefly: ATL.

67. Gas station shop: MART.

68. Vagabond: NOMAD.

69. Wrapped South Asian garment: DHOTI.

70. Former Liberian president __ Johnson Sirleaf: ELLEN.

71. Help for getting to the pointe: BALLET SHOES.

72. Poet Thomas Stearns __: ELIOT.

73. Hockey ruses: DEKES.

77. Trade: SWAP.

78. Drive-__ window: THRU.

79. Taxi spots?: AIRSTRIPS. Aviation "taxi".

80. Corp. leader: CEO. And 81. Leader's spot: HELM.

82. "__ Murders in the Building": ONLY.

85. Go-ahead: ASSENT.

87. Strong coffee: ESPRESSO.

88. Some swabs: Q-TIPS.

89. Caterer's teapot: URN.

91. ABBA jukebox musical: MAMM MIA.

95. Contents of un lac: EAU.

97. Fancy fetes: SOIREES.

99. Rush: HASTEN.

104. Videoconferencing app: SKYPE.

105. Sputter out: DIE.

106. Puts money in: ANTES.

108. Accolades: KUDOS.

109. "__ mackerel!": HOLY.

110. Instrument similar to a suona: OBOE. Chinese instrument. I just call it laba.

111. Breakfast brand: EGGO.

112. American-born Jordanian royal: NOOR.

113. Fizzy drink: SODA.

114. Pristine place: EDEN.

116. Be generous: GIVE.

117. Monopoly payment: RENT.

120. Ask for more puppy chow: BEG.

Happy 78th birthday to Husker Gary's wife Joann and her twin sister Joyce. Here they're with their mom Martha, who passed away in August last year at the age of 100. 

C.C.